The Saga of the Elvenqueen
by BlueberryMuffins76
Summary: A story based on both the book and Peter Jackson's films (so technically a crossover but unfortunately The Hobbit isn't listed under movies), join Thranduil and his wife as they experience Smaug's destruction of Dale. Learn how the Elvenking gained his scars, both physical and emotional. Minor part of chapter six rated M; I tell you again in that chapter.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Thank you to all the contributors of the encyclopaedia &amp; language dictionary on CoE (Council of Elrond)! Also thank you, findemaxam48 for helping me edit this story and make it better; I dedicate it to you! As you may guess as you read, "How to Train Your Dragon 2" inspired my writing; I realized how much Stoick and Thranduil are alike! No, I do not own any Tolkien characters. I have brought in information both from Peter Jackson's film interpretations of the Hobbit (mainly The Desolation of Smaug, with a bit from the Battle of the Five Armies towards the very end), and Tolkien's book; from what I gather, Tolkien is rather silent about Thranduil's wife, so I thought he needed someone. And I found some wonderful comments in the forum entitled "Spiritual nature of elves and men" found in the books section on CoE; it helped me understand the immortality of elves better. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to ask!

Elvish words you need to know: Meleth means love, _nestad_ is healing, Ada is father, Naneth is mother, and _ion_ is son

Several tons of dark red, scaly flesh lurked near Dale and the surrounding areas, including Mirkwood Forest. Someone had been disturbed from his beauty sleep and now experienced deep anger towards those around him. Smoke flamed from his nostrils, giving an air of mystery as the pale grey aura swirled about him. His wings, though quite large, silently flapped as he flew towards civilization to wreak havoc on the peoples there. This fiery worm, wretchedly beautiful yet deadly, was called Smaug. His name, which he adored, suggested his power and fury to those around, reminding them his size alone meant crushed buildings wherever he walked, not to mention his fire-breathing abilities that could burn a building down in seconds. His force could not be reckoned with, especially when his determination to destroy something conquered his entire being. In fact, Smaug could only be killed by a large black arrow fired from a special bow and hitting him in exactly the right location.

No one knows exactly whence he came or why he chose that night to wreak havoc on the free peoples in the fading purple light of dusk, excepting the fact that he was hungry. He craved man flesh, dwarf flesh, and anything else he could scald with heat. Most of all, he desired the jewels he knew the dwarves kept hoarded in the Lonely Mountain. As with all dragons, he enjoyed being the keeper of a vast treasure; however, it had been quite some time since he had experienced such luxury and he greatly missed it. His lust for precious gems likely played a factor in the destruction he caused that fateful night. Being an enormous creature, he easily created chaos for the city of Dale and chased the dwarves from their beloved home. His fire alone killed hundreds, and although the men attempted to kill him numerous times with a giant black arrow, his scales deflected the blows with ease and he remained almost unscathed because none who fired were expert marksmen, much to the advantage of the great fiery beast. However, one arrow chipped a few scales off his left underbelly near his front leg; his wounds were not enough to truly harm or deter him but rather served only to anger him even more than he already was. So the only choice everyone had was to flee, and so they did.

It so happened that Elvenking Thranduil and his lovely wife Elvenqueen Arabesque were visiting Lord Girion in Dale at that time. The two free people groups had a good relationship with each other, constantly exchanging goods unique to either part of the kingdom. The elves liked to visit from time to time, asking if any help was needed in Dale and rendering any services necessary. The Mirkwood rulers decided on such a visit, but their only son, Legolas, chose to stay in the comfort of his own rooms in their palace. That decision suited the monarchs just fine; they had a difficult time finding time all to themselves, what with all their duties as the king and queen. Thus they found themselves sneaking out of Dale for a moonlit walk, well away from all other forms of humanoid life. They walked fairly far away from the city, still able to see it but far enough that they did not know what went on within its walls, nor did those inside know anything of their little rendezvous.

"Arabesque, my Meleth," he'd said to her, "come away with me for a stroll!"

She playfully batted her eyes, "Only if you can catch me first!" Then she ran away, laughing. The Elvenking quickly caught up to her and kissed her soundly while she fought against him, all in jest. Then they walked out together, hand in hand. A butler, who'd accompanied them on their journey, passed them on their way out of the city, and the Elvenking scowled his way. "You are under strict orders to tell our whereabouts to no one, not even Legolas, unless of course there is a dire emergency. I expect we will be back in a few hours."

"Yes, your majesties," he nodded, rather accustomed to such orders. That is a nice thing about being royalty, that one can give orders and they are obeyed!

However, dictating silence on their whereabouts proved rather detrimental; perhaps the news could have reached them before the impending disaster, but alas no one shall ever know, for they knew nothing of the desolation Smaug had caused in Dale and Erebor.

Soon the monarchs found themselves along the lakeside, strolling hand in hand, oblivious to all around them and unconcerned about any danger since they did not expect any. Arabesque snuggled against her husband's warm side as their lovely flaxen locks wafted together in the gentle breeze. "Thank you for bringing me, Meleth! We have not been able to do this for such a long time."

Thranduil laughed. "Meleth, it has only been three weeks! Such a long time in the life of an elf," he winked at her. They both giggled and the Elvenking nuzzled his Elvenqueen's nose, then the couple shared a deep and passionate kiss.

They continued along Long Lake's banks, contemplating laying down a blanket so they could do some stargazing. They found a level place and put the covering on the ground, then lay down side by side. Then Thranduil scooped up his wife and settled her on his lap with the intention of spooning under the moonlight. He liked to Eskimo kiss her and then go in for the real thing as they already had even before reaching their special place, and she eagerly responded to his advances.

Nostrils wide with passion, the Elvenking took a small break from kissing. "I love you, my Arabesque!"

"And I love you, Meleth! I shall never understand what you saw in me or why you married me, but I am ever so glad you did!"

He gently tweaked her cute little nose. "You are the most beautiful elf in all the land, precious and priceless. How could I resist you?"

"Aha, the question is how I could resist you, you handsome man!" And so they continued, lost in a world consisting of only the two of them, more interested in themselves than they stars. However, their spooning was interrupted by the acrid smell of fire and smoke that wafted towards them. Untangling themselves, they got up and looked towards Erebor and saw the desolation Smaug breathed down upon Dale. They gave each other a look and took off running towards the city, unsure of how to help but knowing they may need to lend medical assistance and perhaps even bring some of Dale's people and Erebor's dwarves back to Mirkwood for a time.

Smaug, upon finishing his devastation of Dale, flew silently around the Lonely Mountain and the surrounding areas; he thought he had detected the smell of elf, which he despised, and suspected the one he hated most of all might be about somewhere. He was one of the last surviving dragons because the elves, in particular, fought and conquered the majority of his kin. The Elvenking Thranduil, a handsome and skilled warrior, murdered his father and mother, so the fiery worm wanted revenge against him. He searched for the distinctive natural crowns of the Elvenking and his evil wife, the Elvenqueen, and finally spotted two figures running towards the city, rather than away like all the other survivors. His wings made no sound as he drew closer to the elves, easy to make out because their flaxen hair practically glowed in the moonlight.

"At last!" he thought. "I have found the wretched elf himself, and his grimy little wife too."

The dragon landed gracefully at the edge of Dale to await the approach of the elven rulers. He greeted them as they neared, swaggering towards them with a wicked gleam in his large eyes.

Smaug laughed manically. "I found you, smelly elf king! Face my wrath! I am the King Under the Mountain now and you shall not get in my way!" Apparently he thought the Elvenking was in league with Erebor and might try to claim any jewels that were rightfully his, which would be a good assumption on his part, mostly true; however, the winged serpent was not about to let anyone get in his way and had to take revenge for his parents' deaths. Besides, all those lovely jewels and trinkets called to him; destroying a whole town was tiresome work even for a dragon, and he could hardly wait to enter his new home and take a nap on his treasure hoard.

Arabesque clutched her husband, and he whispered in her ear, "Meleth, you must run back to Mirkwood while I distract him. Go; you must stay safe!" Unfortunately, an elf is no match for a dragon by herself, even in a forest. The giant beast noticed the trick and caught up to her, easily snatching her up with his large talons.

"Thranduil! Help me!" she screamed and kicked, trying with all her might but unable to free herself from the fiery serpent's clutches.

"NNNOOOOOOO!" Thranduil shouted, charging at Smaug, sword in hand. Yet the dragon simply flew away, calling back, "Now I have received your payment and shall devour your wife, bit by stinky bit!"


	2. Chapter 2

**2: Confronting the Dragon**

The Elvenking ran all the way back to Dale, calling for his men to assemble quickly, which they did. Unfortunately, there were only three of them, and it would be foolhardy to try to save the Elvenqueen with that few. He sent word to Mirkwood for more men, and they would arrive within two days. However, he did not want to wait that long; his wife could be dead by then, if she wasn't already. As the King, no one could really stop him from approaching the Lonely Mountain himself, and that is what he did. Girded for battle, sword at the ready, he regally strode to the gates and called out to his fearsome foe, "Smaug, you spiteful worm, I know you are in there! I demand you release my wife to me at once."

The great dragon appeared in the doorway, his large eyes looking evilly at the elf-lord. He had something in his teeth that he threw down to Thranduil, who immediately picked it up. Upon examination, he discovered it was Arabesque's torn and very bloody cloak. Slowly he sank to the ground as he realized his wife had been brutally murdered by the wicked beast. "No!" he softly moaned, unshed tears gleaming in his eyes. At that moment, his men came up to him and encouraged him away from the mountain; they were unwilling to lose both their leaders within the span of two hours.

A couple of days later, a small elf army made their way into the charred remains of Dale, now almost completely deserted. Face grim with determination, the Elvenking led his men back to Erebor, where he again confronted his foe. "Smaug, I demand you come out and face us like a man."

They heard the rustle of scales against the stone floor as the dragon sauntered his way towards them. He swaggered out and stretched upward, spreading his wings out as wide as possible in a menacing way. "You shall never defeat me, you stinky elves!"

Thranduil signalled and led the charge against the beast, swords out as they ran. Unfortunately, the scales of the fiery worm were so tough that no sword, even the very best elven swords, could penetrate them. As a consequence, he laughed maniacally at their struggles. Rather full from his feast of dwarves and men, Smaug pushed his way through the fighting elves and simply flew away, looking back as he called, "Do not even try to look for her body; you will never find her again!" Rearing back his large head, flames blazed from his mouth as he laughed manically and silently flapped out of sight around the side of the mountain. Thranduil and his small army were left to stare in fear and shock. The scorching fire caught the Elvenking, charring half his handsome face; however, his grief over his wife overwhelmed him so much that he barely noticed. The skin was completely torn off the left side of his head, revealing burnt sinew, muscles, all the way down to the bone. It oozed a gooey substance, a heart-wrenching site.

Thranduil's right hand man, Fairion, noticed the issue and knew his beloved king would need some _nestad _(a healing touch) as soon as possible, thus he motioned to one of the other elves. "Hurry! Send for Lord Elrond of Rivendell! Our king is injured and needs his help!" Elrond, well-known as a skilled healer, actually did not have a good relationship with the Mirkwood elves but they knew saving their king was beyond their skill.

The message was sent immediately, and Fairion, placed his hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "My lord, I believe we should go home now. You are in no condition to take on that spiteful worm at this time." Emotionally torn, the Ruler of Mirkwood allowing himself to be led away, hardly seeing any of the scenery through the cloud of grief that washed over him. The elves helped Thranduil to Mirkwood and tended his wounds the best they could. Although the pain in his face became almost unbearable, the hurt in his heart was a million times worse so he hardly felt his physical wounds. He had no idea what he would tell Legolas, his only son, when he returned. All he knew is that he should never have allowed his wife to go with him when he knew a dragon was near, wreaking havoc on those around him. If he had thought things through and insisted Arabesque return to the safety of Mirkwood, she would still be with them that very day.

On his bed in the palace, the Elvenking still held onto some cognizance, and all he could do was repeat the fact that he had lost his beloved. "That evil, wretched worm carried her off to eat her! My Meleth!" he moaned and then lost consciousness, completely heartbroken.

Elrond came as quickly as he could and was able to heal the king and even cover his ugly scar; Thranduil could reveal it only if he wanted to; afterwards others learned it tended to show only when he displayed wrath and vengeance. Once Elrond's _nestad_ drew to a close, Legolas was soon at his father's side, waiting for him to rouse. "Ada, please wake up soon! I love you so much! I never appreciated all you do to rule our fair city until that responsibility was placed on my shoulders. I am so sorry for how I have treated you! Ada, please tell me all is forgiven. Now all we have is each other." The young elf sighed, his tears softly falling on his father's bed. He held his hand for hours, drifting asleep at the bedside due to his extreme emotional exhaustion; he had already lost one parent that fateful day and worried he would lose his other parent as well, even though he trusted Elrond to heal his beloved Ada. Also keeping watch was an elf-cat, Gonnion, who laid beside his beloved master, sensing his need for companionship.

"Arabesque!" Thranduil cried frantically, trying to sit up and in the process disturbing Gonnion, who turned up his nose and settled on the other side of the bed. Legolas gently held him down, calling for Elrond. "Ada is awake! Someone get Lord Elrond please!" He then turned to his father, murmuring kind reassurances.

Elrond came in, examined the king, and said he was healing well, at least at the physical point. Thranduil had experienced great emotional distress, something the Rivendell leader truly understood; he had been forced to send his precious wife Celebrían to the Grey Havens after she was seriously wounded with an orc blade. That had happened only a couple of hundred years before and was still fresh in his mind. The ruler of Rivendell felt defeated because he could not heal his beloved wife and the only way she could retain her life was to go to the Undying Lands, where he would meet her one day. Thus he had hope in his loss; their parting was temporary. As for the Elvenking, the Lord of Rivendell hoped that one day he would be able to cling to the hope that he could still meet his wife in the Undying Lands, even if she likely would have some sort of new body, as her old one was devoured by the great dragon. However, Elrond also knew talking to Thranduil about his loss at this point and time would only make things worse; these elves were not exactly friends, although they were not enemies either, as has already been mentioned. So he decided to return home after being assured his patient would physically recover (overstaying his welcome was not among his favourite things to do), warning Legolas that his father was likely to become cold and hardened from this significant tragedy. The elves turned to leave the room, but Thranduil halted them. "Before you leave, Legolas, you must make sure the entire kingdom is sworn to secrecy about Smaug's coming here."

"Why, Ada?" the prince asked, finding this request quite strange, as the great beast never actually came to Mirkwood itself.

The Elvenking glared at his son. "Just do as I say!"

So Legolas did just that, then spoke to the ruler of Rivendell once they exited the chambers.

"Lord Elrond, thank you so much for coming to Ada's aid. I know you and he do not have the best relationship between kingdoms, yet you have shown nothing but kindness to my father and his people. I truly wish we could have peace between ourselves; however, I fear this tragedy will only harden my father even more than he has been in the past. Nevertheless, I hold you in the highest respect and if you ever need anything, let me know and I shall personally see you get it, with or without Ada's blessing."

Elrond responded with kindness gleaming in his eyes. "Dear Legolas, you are most welcome. I do not need repayment; your kind words and warm welcome are all the thanks I need. Few have my healing skills and I knew Thranduil needed me, even if he does not like me. It is my duty to help others in need regardless of how they feel towards me. Treat your father well; my dear Celebrían left for the Grey Havens not long ago, thus I know how it feels to lose someone you hold so dear to your heart. He has a hard road ahead of him and will need your love and support, even if he will be very exasperating at times. But remember he still loves you, despite how he may seem on the outside."

With that, Elrond took his leave and headed back to Rivendell, and the Elvenprince pondered the words of wisdom he left behind as well as the command of the Elvenking.


	3. Chapter 3

**3\. Bedside Vigil**

In Mirkwood, Legolas asked Tauriel, his friend and colleague, to sit by his father's side while he went to his chambers for some much needed rest, and she gladly agreed.

"Dearest Elvenking, it is Tauriel," she started, noticing Thranduil was still awake.

"Yes, what do you want, Tauriel?" he became a bit confused, wondering why they would allow a woman in to see him in his state of weakness.

"Legolas asked me to look after you for a bit. Do you mind?" she became a bit worried at his gruff exterior and wondered if she should send for someone else.

"I suppose that would be fine. Although I must ask you not talk with me unless I initiate the conversation, and please try not to look at me. I would very much like someone's presence with me, however, and I know Legolas thought you were the best person for the job. I suppose we should humour him a bit now and then."

"Thank you!"

Thranduil dictated that no one speak of Smaug's visit in part because he was rather embarrassed that he failed to take care of his wife and could not stop her murder. Showing weakness was something he hated, and his injuries, which demanded he stay in bed and rest, irked him to no end. However, once his commands had been dictated, he settled back into the covers, knowing he needed the rest (as much as he hated to admit it). The lady guard gave him some water then settled into a chair beside him and read, a luxury she rather enjoyed but unfortunately could not do very often. Soon he drifted off to sleep and slumbered fitfully, constantly dreaming of the scenario and sometimes waking up screaming, as he had with Legolas. Tauriel calmly reassured him each time and Gonnion snuggled against him to be stroked, but after a while she sent for Legolas and stepped outside the room to speak with him a minute.

"Legolas, I really think you need to be by your Ada's bedside, not me. Having a woman's voice seems to upset him more." She got to her point at once, not wishing to leave the Elvenking alone for too long a time.

The Elvenprince's eyes grew wide as he realized his mistake. "Oh Tauriel! I did not even think of that! How could I be such a fool?"

She laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Legolas, there is no way you could have known. I did not think of it myself until King Thranduil experienced several nightmares. I am afraid you are the best person to care for him because you are the only family he has left. Although at times I feel he thinks of me as a daughter, I am still a common elf and really have no right to do anything except defend him."

"You are right. Thank you for realizing my mistake! Promise me you will come if I need you?"

"Legolas, you know I am always at your side no matter what." She brushed her hand across his smooth cheek and walked away to attend her normal duties, leaving Legolas staring after her wake. He loved her yet felt their romance was never meant to be, and certainly something of which his father did not approve. So he surmised that the best course of action would be to stay as far away from her as possible and concentrate on healing his father. Besides, at times she appeared to be attracted to him, yet most of the time he felt like she regarded him as a brother rather than lover.

The Elvenprince returned to his beside vigil, where Thranduil had fallen asleep once again with more thoughts ruling his dreams and Gonnion faithfully sleeping by his side. He loathed that he could not rule his kingdom as usual and that Legolas, practically a child still, had to take his place.

This was just one concept the ruler of Mirkwood pondered as he recovered. Thranduil suspected that the dwarves in Erebor had something to do with the fiery worm, perhaps waking him on the day of terrible tragedy; perhaps the sound of their mining woke him in some faraway place. Or maybe the mere idea that dwarves would mine precious jewels from the earth and treasure them up stirred up the dragon as he smelled the gems he so desired. Thus Thranduil grew to resent all dwarves and counted them as his enemies, even going so far as to blame them for the death of his Arabesque.

Legolas sat by his father's bedside a few days after Elrond took his leave, holding his hand while he slept. He was also having a hard time fighting sleep; it had been ten days since the incident, and Thranduil had been resting most of this time, waking only to moan about his beloved Arabesque. Then he stirred again, this time becoming more fully awake.

"Arabesque?" he inquired.

"Ada, it is me, Legolas, your _ion_." The prince's voice was full of emotion.

The king, now fully awake, sat up slowly and looked at his only child, tears filling his blue eyes as he recalled the horrendous fate of his precious wife. Gonnion meowed and curled up on his lap, so he stroked his soft fur as he spoke with his son.

"Legolas, I lost your mother! I am so sorry! That evil worm was upon us before we knew what was happening. But I shall have my revenge against that foul creature."

"Ada, it is not your fault! This could have happened to anyone. I will never blame you for what happened to Naneth."

"Look at me, _Ion_." Thranduil's sad eyes captured his gaze and held it there. "If I had not wanted some privacy with your mother, if I had only waited a few days until I was sure all the mad rampages of Smaug were through for the season, your mother would still be with us."

"No, that's not true!" Legolas cried, unwilling to let his father blame himself. "You did not even know about the evil winged serpent until afterwards, so how could you have done anything differently?" But the king would not hear of it and turned away. Thus the prince took his leave, silently grieving for both his parents. He had lost his mother physically, and his father in every other way.

In Mirkwood, sadness reigned throughout the kingdom. Father and son grieved separately for their lost loved one and each stayed a week in his respective chambers with explicit orders not to be disturbed unless the kingdom was under attack. Then, Thranduil made his way to Legolas' room and knocked softly on the door. "Go away!" went the muffled and choked reply.

"Legolas, I do not wish to play games at this time. Let me in!" he sternly ordered. The door slowly opened a crack, and the regal Elvenking made his way into the room. "My _ion_, I must speak with you."

"Yes, Ada?"

Almost mechanically, Thranduil sat on the bed and placed his head in his hands, looking quite vulnerable and broken. He felt he had to explain and apologize yet again, even though everyone but he himself knew it had nothing to do with him. "I am the cause of your Naneth's death. I should have insisted your mother return here to safety, but instead I let her accompany me into danger. Now, we shall never get her back. I am so sorry!"

The Elvenprince stood beside his father and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ada, it is not your fault. Naneth hated to leave your side even for a moment, so do you really think she would have gone where you told her? She made the choice to try to help the people of Dale."

Legolas tried hard to make his beloved father see the truth, but Thranduil hid the facts from himself; the Elvenking would not listen to reason. "Legolas, you know nothing of it. I even tried to kill that nasty worm, but he flew away. And I must tell you, if you dare to even try to go and kill that beast for yourself, I shall banish you from this kingdom forever."

"Yes, Ada," Legolas humbly replied, knowing he should not cross his father.

With that, a very broken man made his way back to his throne room and from that moment on put on the façade that everything was fine. He would not let his broken heart get in the way of ruling his kingdom. However, he also distanced himself from others, unwilling to let his love for them show through or overcome him; loving others caused him so much pain.

The evidence of the bloody cloak convinced everyone that their beloved queen was dead, to return never more. Thus the people understood their ruler's need for privacy a now gruff demeanour. They knew it was no use to try to take the dragon on until they could figure out a better plan of action. However, the Elvenking ordered that no one was to disturb the wretched worm, fearing more death would occur. He would blame himself for anything that happened to anyone else and could not bear to have another life on his hands.

As Thranduil recovered from his injury, his heart did not heal nearly as well as his body. He became bitter towards himself and Smaug, constantly thinking about taking revenge on this horrible creature yet torn because he knew he was needed to rule in Mirkwood and he did not want any more blood on his hands; no one would allow him to go off the fight the fiery beast by himself. His kingdom now seemed murkier than ever, and so did his mind. Legolas needed him, and he tried to be there for him yet maintain a certain distance between them. The Elvenking found himself fearing love because one never knows when he/she may lose a loved one. Actually, he was beginning to deliberate that it might be better not to love at all. However, he also thought of the wonderful times he had had with Arabesque and his parents, all deceased now. Although Legolas was old enough to marry, he strongly encouraged his son to refrain until several more centuries passed because he did not want to see anyone go through what he experienced (even if having grandchildren may have helped him overcome his fear of love and provided some consolation in his grief). This decision worked fine for Legolas because the woman he loved did not wish to marry him anyway, not to mention that he was still immature. (Legolas had proposed to Tauriel on several occasions, but each time she only laughed and said they were simply not meant to be, unknowingly breaking his heart. She thought he confused friendship with romance and knew even if she did love him, Thranduil would likely never allow such a union, especially now that his wife was gone. After all, Arabesque used to be a common elf like Tauriel, and having the female guard marry Legolas would be too similar to the Elvenking and his wife.) The prince was becoming more responsible upon being forced to rule the kingdom for a time and did a good job of loving his father and accepting all his faults, knowing his heart was filled with pain. After all, he had lost his beloved Naneth and grieved over her too, yet he somehow instinctively knew how to manage and overcome the sadness and come out triumphant.


	4. Chapter 4

**4\. Erebor Escapades**

Over a century later, Thranduil at last accepted the fact that his wife was gone, never to return and thus learned to live without her. He put on a distant and cold façade, which eventually became more and more a part of him, as his grief remained fresh in his mind each day. He would always miss her, but so many years helped him to cope with his pain to some extent and thus still rule his kingdom, which he tried to keep as peaceful as possible. He kept up a good relationship with the men in Lake-town, trading goods back and forth between cities. After all, the awakening and desolation of the great dragon was not their fault, and they had many wares that were unavailable in Mirkwood.

Not long afterwards (a hundred and seventy one years, to be exact), the capture of thirteen dwarves, found wandering about lost in Mirkwood, proved an interesting turning point in the matter. At first, Thranduil was rather taken aback when the dwarves were found wandering about, rather lost in Mirkwood Forest as they had abandoned the path in search of food. He treated his prisoners kindly yet they refused to tell him their business, and until they could assure him they were not spies he kept them locked up in separate cells; that is until a certain shadowy and unwanted guest, the hobbit Bilbo, helped the dwarves escape in barrels down the river to Lake-town. Needless to say, Thranduil's elves sent word back to him immediately when they discovered the escaped prisoners and learned their mission: to take back Erebor. Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the dwarves, obviously had treasure in mind when he mentioned his quest and gave Thranduil the feeling that he would want everything for himself, just as his grandfather had done before him. Part of the jewels rightfully belonged to the Kingdom of Mirkwood, and the Elvenking planned to get them back. However, no amount of precious gems could ever replace his most prized possession of all: his dear wife.

Horrible memories flooded his mind when Thranduil learned the dragon still lived and the dwarves meant to kill him, vividly reminding him of Smaug carrying his wife away, then throwing out her bloodied cloak. At first he wanted nothing to do with the Lonely Mountain, but then he decided he could at least get his fair share of the treasure. However, his kind nature won over when he was informed Smaug struck yet again and the people of Lake-town needed his help. He knew Arabesque would approve of helping the homeless folks; she had always enjoyed visiting their towns and people, fascinated with their way of life and how similar they were to elves. He knew he could not stand back and let more innocents be killed. Thus he decided to take his army and unite against the dragon. It turned out to be a good thing because goblins on their wargs attacked Erebor and the dwarves and men needed all the help they could get.

As Bilbo escaped the mountain to bring the Arkenstone to Thranduil and Bard, he ended up scaling a wall he did not need to climb. However, someone was very glad he did once she discovered who he was going to see. The hobbit had on his magic ring, his form virtually invisible, as it was night. He noticed a figure in the corner of the strange room, and detecting it was a lovely she-elf greeted her upon taking off his treasure. "Hello!" He wondered what a lovely elf was doing locked up in the Lonely Mountain.

"Who are you and what are you?" she asked, for she had never seen such a creature before. Strangely enough, she felt no fear of the creature, instinctively knowing he was friend and not foe.

"I am Bilbo, a hobbit or Halfling."

"And I am Arabesque, the Elvenqueen of Mirkwood. Can you help me get out of here? Smaug has kept me in his clutches for almost 200 years now."

It dawned on the hobbit that the elf must be Thranduil's wife. "I so happen to have some rope with me! Give me a few moments to secure it and you and I can go and find your husband; I have something which may prove useful to him."

"Thank you so much, Bilbo! I shall see you are greatly rewarded! Tell me, how is my Thranduil? I have missed him and our Legolas so much!" she could hardly contain her eagerness to be reunited with her family once again, not even thinking to ask how her new friend knew her beloved man.

"They seem to be fairly well, my Elvenqueen. From what I have seen, your kin have never quite recovered from losing you, although they try not to show that side of them too much."

"My poor Meleth! He probably thinks I'm dead. What a surprise he shall have!"

Bilbo soon secured the rope and helped the queen out of her prison. They went on their way unnoticed by anyone else and climbed down the mountain to the camp where Thranduil and Bard currently resided. Before she knew it, Arabesque approached her husband's tent. She allowed Bilbo to precede her and take care of his business first; if she were to reveal herself he would likely never get the audience he sought with the Elvenking. Watching in the background, she overheard the hobbit offer her husband and Bard something called an Arkenstone, which she seemed to recall was a great treasure of the dwarves, although she had no idea what it had to do with anything. However, she did not expect to spend several hours waiting in the cold while they did their business. Finally Bilbo was allowed to leave and walked off with the wizard Gandalf, whom the Elvenqueen knew instinctively.


	5. Chapter 5

**5\. Happy Reunion**

The Elvenqueen made her way to the tent she had witnessed her Elvenking enter and hesitantly called in the doorway, "Thranduil? Are you there?"

"Who is it?" he answered, wondering why the voice sounded feminine; he knew of no women in the company, unless it was a refugee from Lake-town?

"Please, come out and see or let me in!" she couldn't resist a cheeky answer.

The Elvenking slowly stepped out of his tent, lantern in hand. He shone the light on her face and immediately dropped it in his shock. "Arabesque? Is it really you?"

"Yes, my Meleth! Smaug has kept me in his cave for such a long time and I thought I would die of starvation when he left, that is until Bilbo came along and rescued me!" She then threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He returned the embrace and scooped her into his arms and carried her back into the tent.

"Meleth, I am so sorry I did not come and rescue you! I thought that vile worm had eaten you!" he was furious with himself for believing a dragon; one rule about fighting them is to never trust them under any circumstances, and here he had done just that at the cost of almost 200 years apart from his wife.

"Shh, my Meleth, it is not your fault. I know if you had not firmly believed I was dead you would have immediately come against Smaug and rescued me from his clutches. I must say he was fairly kind to me and never harmed me except for letting me go hungry for a couple of days at a time." Arabesque silenced her husband with gentle fingers laid across his lips. Then she recounted her tale after getting some much-needed nourishment.

Smaug had indeed carried her to the Lonely Mountain, but he had yet to harm her; the emotional pain of being separated from her beloved pleased him more than causing physical pain, and he was rather full from his feat anyway. She screamed, kicked, and struggled against him the whole flight to Erebor, but the dragon only laughed at her. "You shall never escape my clutches, dear one, so you might as well get used to me. I'll teach that evil husband of yours a lesson he'll never forget!"

"No! Why would you want to harm him? What has he ever done to you?" Arabesque, indignant, raged at her captor, now more angry than scared.

"Don't you, of all nasty little elves, know?" he said, almost sadly.

"Know what?" she felt confused.

"He killed my parents in front of my own eyes! I was just a wee thing and used my small size to help me hide and escape from your evil kind. Soon I was the only dragon around. But now I shall avenge my parents' deaths, although I have not quite decided how you come into the picture."

"If you are going to kill me, please do it now instead of keeping me apart from my beloved!" The lovely Elvenqueen stood her ground against the great beast.

However, he laughed at her. "Come now, that would be far too easy. You must suffer for a while, and since I am rather full I shall keep you alive for now."

She sniffed and crossed her arms, rather unladylike and undignified, but she held too much anger to care. "Fine, I will escape as soon as possible. Since I am smaller than you, I can fit in tight places."

This statement met maniacal laughing. Soon the dragon rolled on the floor, precious gems and metals scattering everywhere as he revelled in his mirth. However, Arabesque was unamused and used this moment to search for an escape route. Cautiously and quietly, as only an elf can be, she snuck past the guffawing dragon, hoping he would giggle long enough to cover any noise she might accidentally make and let her get outside the mountain. Unfortunately, he, like an owl about to swoop down on a mouse, remained vigilant and easily blocked her escape. "I told you that I will not allow you to leave here, ever! I shall be forced to devour you if you do not cooperate with me."

His statement was met with a fierce glare; Arabesque no longer feared dying and wanted her captor to know that she would defy him to the death. She looked about for a weapon, but found none within easy reach, much to her chagrin.

Arabesque continued trying to hide from Smaug. However, he caught her every time she attempted valiantly to escape and ended up blockading her in a small room which had both a window and a stream, knowing she would not choose to live very long unless she could get some fresh air, sunshine, and moonlight. The exact same prison is where Bilbo found and rescued her.

"There, my pet, you shall not leave me now!" he informed her, proud of himself for his remarkable capture and eager to see how he could use her to get back at the elves even more.

The Elvenqueen turned her back to the great fiery worm, not ready to give up her life and wishing she could devise an escape plan. However, things looked hopeless because the walls were smooth rock and she had no idea how thick they were where the stream came out from them; she would not risk holding her breath and swimming through only to die in the water a few feet from her freedom. Thus she sat on the floor in a corner, hugging her knees against her chest and sobbing for her home and family.

The Elvenqueen spent almost 200 years in her cell, fed various greens and roasted animals via her captor Smaug; the good thing about being held prisoner by a dragon was that his breath could cook meats and make them more palatable. He forced her to sing to him before serving her, and she soon learned to oblige; if she refused, she would not be fed for two days. However, the stream supplied her with water constantly, for both drinking and washing.

One day, she heard a great disturbance within the once-great halls; Smaug dwelled far on the other side of the mountain and the cave system made it hard to hear what went on over there. However, she could tell that something had greatly upset him and he sounded as though his rage caused him to destroy more of the palace. Occasionally she caught his voice along with some that almost sounded like that of dwarves. Wait, how could there be dwarves when they had all left long ago when the dragon first overtook the mountain? Several days went by and no dragon came to feed her as usual, so she grew worried that he had been slain and she would die in her cell, cold and alone. Then Bilbo came and rescued her. "So here I am, Meleth!" she concluded joyously, her heart bursting with love as she finally reunited with her beloved husband.

"I am so sorry that I did not realize you were still alive! When I saw your bloodied cloak, all hope left me. I even tried to kill that dreaded beast, but his hide was too tough." He was embarrassed to admit it, but knew she needed to know this titbit of information.

"Thranduil, what happened?" she inquired nervously, sensing there was more to the story than simply his failure to kill a dragon; a strange thing indeed, considering he had slain many beasts in his day.

Slowly the Elvenking's face changed, revealing the ugly scar Smaug had burnt into him. Arabesque gasped. "Thranduil, my Meleth, did Smaug do this to you?" she gently traced the outline of his deformity and kissed it, not caring that she could see his muscles, bones, and sinews protruding from his fleshless left side. Then, she laid her lips on his as a token of her love.

"Yes, he did this," was the sad reply. The couple snuggled and the Elvenqueen softly sobbed into the Elvenking's robes, horrified that the evil dragon had marred her husband. He knew she wept not out of pity but of her compassion and love for him; she felt overwhelmed that he became scarred on her behalf. At last her tears subsided and she looked into his eyes. "Thranduil, my precious Meleth, you know I love you for who you are inside, not your outward appearance. Please, don't think your scar makes me love you any less. In fact, I love you more for it because I know you got it trying to protect me! Your scar is beautiful to me because it is a visible reminder of your precious love for me."

"Meleth, you always did see the beauty in even the ugliest things. Are you sure you can stand to live with such a scarred beast?"

She playfully slapped him on the arm. "Thranduil, you ought to know me better than that! I will always love you and think you are the handsomest elf in the entire world. Nothing could ever change that."

"Arabesque!" he sighed happily, and they embraced and kissed again. How he had missed the warmth of her body against his and the feel of her gentle lips on his own! Having her in his arms again was worth all the pain he had suffered these past 175 years. Both slept peacefully that night, for the first time in ever so long, their love covering all the terrible pain the ensuing battle would bring.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Advisory Note: This chapter is rated M! It's really just the very first bit. But I warn you: proceed with caution!**_

**6\. Happily Ever After**

At dawn the following day, Fairion called out to the Elvenking before going into the tent, "Your majesty, Bard has requested you meet him within one hour to care for some business related to those within Erebor." The elf entered the shelter to find his king wrapped in a woman's arms! He blushed (even though both were fully clothed) and, about to look away, he noticed it was not just any female but his very own queen! "Milady, is that you?" he inquired hesitantly, his curiosity overriding propriety.

The couple disentangled themselves and Arabesque sweetly replied, "Yes! Bilbo helped me escape the mountain where Smaug held me captive all these years."

Thranduil addressed Fairion, the empress smiling by his side. "Please let Bard know I shall be at our meeting within the appointed time; I must care for some business first."

The elf obediently left, and the Elvenking turned to the Elvenqueen and kissed her again. Then he prepared for battle, Arabesque helping him put his armour on. She held him close, unwilling to let him go quite yet; after all, they had been separated for almost 200 years! "Thranduil, Meleth, may I stay with you and fight alongside you, as we have done sometimes in the past?"

The handsome Elvenking looked at his wife, a mixture of emotions blazing in his eyes. "Arabesque, you know I love you and my heart nearly broke in two when I thought I had lost you. I would much rather you be escorted back to Mirkwood where I know you shall be safe." He kept his arms around her and their lips met in a tender yet passionate kiss.

"I understand, Meleth. I shall go home; how I have missed it! But promise me you will stay safe and return to me?"

"You know battle is always uncertain, but yes I shall do my best to come back to you. After all, you have renewed my reason to live, and we have close to 200 years of married life to make up for when this silly little skirmish finally comes to an end." As much as he hated to have her leave, he could not bear for anything else to happen to his beloved wife; although she was almost as skilled a warrior as he, she also had a gentle nature and hated fighting, not to mention that though hardy, she could use with some real respite in her beloved home.

About an hour later, Arabesque and two armed elves found themselves headed back to Mirkwood and the palace. They arrived safely in the castle before the goblins and wargs attacked Erebor, and when a thrush told the Elvenking of their success, his heart swelled with joy within him. The Elvenqueen knew nothing of the impending attacks until after they had happened and the huge battle ended; Thranduíl told the thrush not to return to Mirkwood because he did not want his wife to worry any more than absolutely necessary.

Upon helping to bury Thorin Oakenshield, Thranduil returned home unscathed by battle, Legolas by his side. Arabesque met them at the door and embraced her son. "Legolas, how I have missed you! You are both unharmed, are you not?"

After assuring her they were fine, in fact quite wonderful now that they had her back, the little family made their way back inside the palace. A great celebration was planned and last many days, celebrating mostly the return of the queen but also the victory in battle. The Elvenking vowed to never leave the Elvenqueen's side again, with the exception of a very dire emergency. . He became a much happier man overnight and improved as the years went by.

Legolas matured even more through his first experience at war and the Elvenking was rather proud of his son, and so was the Elvenqueen. However, she became a bit upset when she was told of the plans for the Elvenprince to find the Rangers and learn their ways. Thranduil took her aside the day before Legolas was to leave in order to explain matters. "Arabesque, Meleth, remember how our son always liked Tauriel?" She affirmed the question, so he went on to explain about the love triangle with Kili and how the dwarf had died bravely in battle. The ruler of Mirkwood knew his son needed to leave their home for a while and go out on his own, away from all the thoughts of love he once had. It took little convincing to get Arabesque to agree with him; she could tell how much Legolas had changed and knew he needed to get away for a while, as much as she hated to admit it and allow him to go. But prior to this, the crux of the celebrations had to be reached: the rulers of Mirkwood would renew their marriage vows, wishing to start afresh after being separated for such an almost unbearable length of time.

Seamstresses had been working furiously to make their queen some new clothing; all of her had been sent to Rivendell because neither Thranduil nor Legolas could bear to have the reminders of their beloved hanging up in their halls. The most labour was put into her queen's regalia, a beautiful dress of royal blue with silver accents, long enough to cover her ankles but not quite brushing the floor. The sleeves angled out below her elbows and were trimmed in delicate silver threads, as was the slightly scooped neckline. She had a silver robe to match, decorated with royal blue accents. This outfit would be what she wore to her vow renewal.

Later that evening, Arabesque walked up the great hall to meet her true love, who looked on in sheer love and admiration, his joy at having her at his side once again radiating from his whole being. In fact, no one could tell who was happier at the moment, the king or queen! She finally glided to his side and the vow renewal commenced. When the joyous couple kissed, the sparks that flew could be felt throughout the audience, and they smiled on at the precious sight before their eyes. They knew their rulers loved each other more than anything else and appreciated that they allowed them to share such a private and special moment. Legolas also shared in the happiness, yet sadness still tugged at his heart as he recalled Tauriel, missing her and wishing he could one day find himself doing likewise with her. He shook those thoughts from his head, not wanting to ruin his parents' special moment. Perhaps being with the Rangers would do him good after all.

Early the next morning, the royal family shared some quality time before the Elvenprince embarked on his journey. "Naneth, I missed you so much! I hate to leave you when you only just came back to us, yet I also feel that my heart will burst if I stay in these halls much longer."

Mother and son embraced tenderly. "I know, Meleth, but I agree with your Ada that you need the time away from us." Thranduil also came up and enveloped his family in his arms. They held each other silently for a few moments, tears sheening in the Elvenqueen's eyes. "I will miss you, _ion_."

"I know, Naneth, but you are right; it is for the best. Thank you for letting me go; it means much to me that you are so willing to let me find my own way in this world."

Thranduil spoke, emotion making his voice slightly crack. "We both love you dearly, Legolas, and our love allows us to do this for you. Be careful, and remember we will warmly welcome you back when you choose to return!"

With that Legolas took his leave, hoping to find the Rangers. The family walked to the great gates, and parents watched their only child cross the bridge into Mirkwood forest, arms wrapped about each other as they followed their son's path until he disappeared into the trees. Then they returned to their chambers, eager to spend some time alone together.

As the years passed, the kingdom grew less dreary and more cheerful, despite the touch of lingering sadness of having Legolas gone. Yet everyone truly did live happily ever after to the end of their days.

The end.


End file.
